Promise of Eternity
by Sentai-Rider Fan
Summary: Ashley can't handle the nightmares that plague her after she is rescued by Leon from Spain, so she resorts to extreme measures. What will happen to her? Will Leon be able to rescue her in time? Will he finally be able to admit his feelings for her? Ashley X Leon. Please R & R


The sound of rain hitting the windows were like sweet music to Ashley's ear as she sat on her bed hugging her knee to her chest as a sob escaped from her mouth. How long could this torture go on? How long would she able to continue this tortured existence…how long could she live for? She raised her head and turned to the table to see a bottle of sleeping pills that she had been taking ever since she returned to the state. It seemed like a nightmare what happened to her in Spain, but she knew that it was no nightmare, she could still remember every frightening second of every moment. Some would say that she came back a changed woman, others said that she returned the same, but the former group of people were right she had changed, she had become a broken woman.

When she smiled it was a mask, a persona to hide her hurt and depression from other people, when she spoke it was forced. If she had her way she would just hide in her room forever and never come out, she couldn't bear the words of comfort and sympathy that people gave her. "Oh I'm sorry to hear that, it must've been frightening."

"Oh Ashley you poor girl."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Ashley wanted to scream, to just punch a mirror, do something to get it out of her system. She wasn't the same girl, she wanted to tell everyone that, she was now a broken woman who could barely contain her nightmares…she hadn't slept in over three days, she was tired, so tired but whenever she closed her eyes horrible nightmares would spill out. She kept forgetting things recently like homework for instance, dates, appointments, those kinds of things…"When will this end?" she asked herself as her hands reached over to the slipping pills as she popped one, then two, then three into her palms before dry swallowing them.

She didn't know when they would kick in, but when they did she felt so peaceful, like she could just drift away into a dreamland and just stay there. She rocked her body back and forth as she closed her eyes attempting to get some sleep, for a while it seemed to work and finally she thought she would be able to get some much needed sleep. But then the nightmares started again, the grotesque monsters that she and Leon faced, the horrible treatment she underwent…everything as she screamed and her eyes snapped open only for her to realise that she was back home. She cried again in frustration, this wasn't the life she wanted to live, how could anyone live a life after something like this? She wondered briefly how Leon managed it? Perhaps he had some training that allowed him to not get nightmares or go mad, or perhaps he already was mad and just didn't show it…she certainly felt that she'd gone mad.

She took several more pills as her body felt light, it felt much better as a crazed smile came on her face, some more wouldn't hurt right? It wouldn't hurt at all, as she kept taking more and more until she emptied out the whole bottle. "Oops…no more left," she giggled before dropping the glass as her body hit the bed, she began to feel dizzy and light headed as breathing became harder for her. Her lungs wheezed in and out as she faintly heard knocking and a muffled voice, she wanted to speak, to tell the person to go away…she just wanted to sleep, sleep and never wake up again, as her eyes fluttered as the nightmares began to fade away…just like she always wanted. Finally she would be able to go to sleep, finally it would all end.

"She's not answering," the maid said as Leon nodded.

"Alright thanks, I'll just check up on her," he said, he had been worried about Ashley ever since she arrived back home. He could tell that the smile she put on her face was fake, how many times had he done the same? How many times did it hurt for him to fake something when he wanted to show something else? He understood that feeling better then anyone else, and now Ashley was undergoing the same thing as he knocked on the door again, "Ashley it's me Leon, can I talk to you?" he asked as he got no answer.

Normally Leon wouldn't enter a person's room without permission, but he just wanted to check on her, a small peek wouldn't hurt right? He opened the door as quietly as he could and peeked into the room, Ashley was there on the bed sleeping, that was good, most wouldn't have been able to sleep after what they went through. The fact that Ashley was able to sleep was a good thing, as he looked at her, _Hold on_ he thought to himself as he looked at her further _then why isn't her chest rising and falling?_ as he looked at her closely before his eyes widened, "Ashley? Ashley?" Leon called out as he burst into the room and went over to her.

Her eyes were closed and there was almost no pulse as he kicked something on the floor, looking down he saw a bottle of sleeping pills completely empty, "Oh shit," Leon cursed as called loudly for help as a secret service agent came rushing in, "call a bus she's OD," he said as the agent nodded and immediately called for an ambulance, "come on Ashley don't do this to me," he said as he began CPR. She needed to get to a hospital soon, he couldn't lose her here, she couldn't die…they had gone through so much together and for her to leave him like this…it wouldn't be fair. "Damn it Ashley don't you dare die on me!" Leon said breathing life into her as he compressed her chest, a thousand thoughts flooded into his mind, how he thought of her as annoying at first, how it had changed as they continued on their little misadventure. All the way until a single thought went through his head, that he loved her, that he couldn't bear to be away from her…even if she would forget him he would never forget her, "Please Ashley," Leon said tears falling on her, "please don't die," he pleaded.

The next morning Leon would be at the hospital sitting next to Ashley's bed, the paramedics had managed to save her in time, another minute and Ashley would have died. He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, it had been a rough night, various people and officials had come in and out checking up on her. The president had left shortly before, staying up the whole night to be with his daughter while Leon was there for 'protection' though the higher ups knew that Leon cared deeply about Ashley and he wouldn't leave her side orders or no orders. Now it was a waiting game, waiting for Ashley to wake up, the doctors don't know if she would wake up anytime soon or ever, it was all up to her now. "Ashley, I don't know if you can hear me," Leon said softly brushing his hand against hers, "I…I should have been there for you…I knew that the smile you wore was fake, but I-I just ignored you…I thought you would be like me, that you would be able to push on before long. Survive. But now I see I was wrong, you're not me, you're Ashley Graham, the woman I rescued in Spain, the woman that kept asking my help for every little thing…the most annoying woman I can ever imagine," Leon said before chuckling, "but even with all of that…I…I care for you, no, I-I…I love you," Leon whispered as he brushed the hair away from her hair, "please wake up…please let me be your protector again."

He sat back down on his chair as he put his face in his hand, unsure of what to do now, when he heard a small groan coming from the bed, "Leon?" Ashley's hoarse voice asked.

"Ashley?" Leon asked standing up quickly as he looked at her blue eyes.

"Leon…" Ashley said, "I-I couldn't stand it anymore…the nightmares…"

"I understand," Leon said, "I understand everything," he said holding her hands, "I'm sorry Ashley, I failed you, I should have helped you…"

"No it's not your fault," Ashley said shaking her head, "it's mine…I thought I could forget it in time, I thought it would just be a dark chapter in my life. I didn't know it would stick with me after a while, maybe even for my whole life."

"Then I'll be there," Leon declared, "I'll be there to protect you…no matter what, I'll be your protector again, just like in Spain."

"Really? You would?" Ashley asked looking at him in earnest.

"Yeah, I would," Leon said, "even if your father wasn't the president I'll transfer so that I'll always protect you, perk of being the daughter of the president that even after the president has left office you'll always be protected by the secret service. So I'll be there every step of your life."

"Promise?" Ashley pleaded.

"Promise, it's a promise of eternity," Leon said as the two of them smiled as a new day shone upon them, breaking through the clouds of darkness that hanged above their heads.


End file.
